Background: To report the rate of postoperative complications in 943 consecutive eyes operated on with 23-gauge transconjunctival pars plana vitrectomy.
Methods: Single-center, retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. Nine hundred and forty-three eyes underwent 23-gauge transconjunctival core and peripheral vitrectomy with peripheral laser at the sclerotomy sites from May 2005 through April 2008. The main outcome measures were intraocular pressure at 1 day and at 1 week and intra- and postoperative complications with at least 6-month follow-up.
Results: Eight hundred and thirty-one eyes (88%) did not have either significant intra- or postoperative complications. Sclerotomy leakage requiring suture occurred in 37 eyes (3.9%). One choroidal detachment (0.1%) spontaneously resolved 1 week after surgery. At postoperative Day 1, 31 eyes (3.3%) experienced transient hypotony. Forty-five eyes (4.8%) presented a subtle vitreous hemorrhage that resolved spontaneously. Two retinal detachments (0.2%) occurred, one at 1 month and one at 3 months. They resolved with one further vitrectomy. Seven hundred and forty eyes completed the 12-month follow-up and presented no further complications.
Conclusion: Twenty-three-gauge complete vitrectomy and peripheral laser seem safe for a variety of vitreoretinal surgical procedures. The rate of post- and intraoperative complications compares favorably with 25-gauge and with the standard 20-gauge vitrectomy.